#redblazer – it's gonna be a thing

May 3, 2015May 3, 2015

Derby Day

Today was the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby. Every year, we watch all the races, make verbal bets on who we think is going to win, and eat good food while doing so. This year I did the Derby a little bit differently.

Last weekend I went to this BBQ restaurant called Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen in Ballard. After an absolutely delicious meal, I looked into them a little bit more and saw that they were going to be holding a Kentucky Derby viewing party. It seemed like the perfect place to watch a horse race and eat some amazing BBQ while doing so. I got to the restaurants at one, and quickly ordered some sliders and a Mint Julep. Some of the other coops had said that they would come, but I knew that they were going to be a little bit late, so I made sure to grab a spot that would fit many people. The Julep arrived in a Maker’s Mark pewter silver glass overflowing with ice. I took a sip and immediately determined that Mint Juleps are not my drink, and I that I will not be having them again. My sliders came shortly afterwards and I devoured them in a matter of minutes. I absolutely recommend this place, because not only is the food amazing, but the atmosphere is great and it’s in a really nice part of town.

The other coops joined me around two, and we hung around, casually looking up at the TVs to see what the status of the race was. Time passed pretty quickly and then we heard the sound of the trumpet announcing the start of the race. Everyone quieted down, we each said which horse we had picked, and tuned in.

Knowing a little bit about horse racing and jockeys, I felt pretty comfortable with my pick of Firing Lane. He had a good position in the field, decent odds, and Gary Stevens was going to be riding him around the track. Gary is one of my favorites, and probably one of the best jockeys of all time, so I knew that the horse would be in good hands. About 10 minutes before race time, but dad sent me a text saying that both him and my mom had picked Dortmund to be the winner. The bell rang, the gates opened, and the horses took off towards the first turn. My pick looked pretty good until the stretch when American Pharaoh began lengthening his stride and caught up to him. American Pharaoh came in first, Firing Lane in second, and Dortmund in third. I beat my parents, but neither of us ended up winning.

This was also the first Derby that I had decided to dress up for. One day I will go full out with the big hat and everything, but today I decided to put on the spring dress and high heels. In two weeks the Preakness will run in Maryland, and I can’t wait to see if we’ll have a Triple Crown contender again this year.